Upton Noble, Shepton Mallet

A beautiful Grade II listed period home in the Somerset village of Upton Noble, surrounded by open countryside and enjoying extraordinary views across the Witham Vale towards Alfred’s Tower on the Stourhead Estate. Glyde Cottages, which has been a single house for decades, offers an entrance hall, sitting room, open-plan kitchen/dining room, a cosy snug, inner hall, utility room two WC’s, three bedrooms and three bathroom on the first floor, two attic rooms on the second floor (used as a bedroom and offices presently), a sizeable garage/barn, further outbuilding, a private driveway with ample parking and a pretty garden wrapping round three sides of the house.

Immediate Area - Upton Noble itself is a lively and friendly village, with a well-attended primary school and an active village hall. The surrounding countryside is ideal for walking and riding.

Despite its peaceful setting, Glyde Cottages is remarkably well placed. Bruton is only around three miles away, with At the Chapel for exceptional bread and pastries, and restaurants including The Old Pharmacy and Briar. Just over the hill lies Batcombe, home to the Three Horseshoes, a beautifully restored country pub known for its food and association with celebrated chef Margot Henderson. Other favourites include Osip and The Bradley Hare both within about 10 minutes.

Frome is around fifteen minutes away for everyday shopping, including a Sainsbury's, while Gillingham, around half an hour away, has a large Waitrose.

Transport connections are excellent for such a rural location. Castle Cary offers direct trains to London Paddington, Gillingham provides services to Waterloo, and the A303 is around fifteen minutes away for straightforward access to London, Devon and Cornwall.

The House - Glyde Cottages dates to around 1650 and was once two or more cottages but has been one house for many years now. Built from local stone under a tiled roof, what makes it so special is the combination of warmth, character and setting. It feels properly rural without ever feeling remote: a peaceful family home.

Interior - Coming through the side gate, you step into a little courtyard, which is not only a real sun trap but also a haven for birds. A door to the side takes you through a porch and into the entrance hall. Immediately to the right is a WC with plenty of room for coats/boots etc. To the left is the sitting room with its mullion windows to the front, exposed beams, solid wood floor, fireplace with a Jetmaster open fire and a door to the back spiral staircase.

Another door from the hall takes you through to the cosy snug which looks out to the garden at the rear.

The open plan kitchen and dining room really is the hub of the house. A woodburning stove at one end and an oil-fired Aga at the other means this space is warm and welcoming all year round. At the dining end is ample space for a large table in front of one of the windows that takes in the best of the views. Both windows in this room have period shutters and window seats. The kitchen has the most wonderful bespoke central island with Elm top that is great for standing around when entertaining. The rest of the kitchen has a good amount of built in storage. Belgium Blue Limestone worktops sit on top and compliment the original stone floor below.

An opening from the kitchen takes you into an inner hall with the snug to the right, and stairs to the first floor in front. The hall has a cute sink underneath a small window, an understairs pantry and a door through to a useful utility room with a door to the garden and further WC.

The first floor has three generous double bedrooms, with wooden floors, exposed beams and fireplaces, and all to the front of the house making the most of the views. One of the bedrooms has an ensuite bathroom and there is a family bathroom and separate shower room as well. The furthest bedroom is where the spiral staircase from the sitting room leads and continues up to the second floor.

Back on the landing a door leads to another staircase taking you up to the second floor. Here you have a number of options but currently it is set out as a spare bedroom with his and hers offices to either side. It is a good space and would lend itself to having two children’s bedrooms and a playroom for instance.

Outside - As previously mentioned, the house sits on a very quiet lane and has the most wonderful views across open countryside to the front. A flower bed stretches the full width of the house and is well stocked with roses, wisteria and various pops of colour that sit beautifully against the front elevation.

There is a gate that takes you to the main side door and further along is a wide driveway, with plenty of parking, leading past an outbuilding to a good-sized garage/barn. There is an EV charging point here also. Both the garage and the outbuilding have great potential for conversion (subject to planning).

The gardens here are so pretty, divided up into separate spaces by hornbeam hedges and old walls. To one side is a vegetable patch accessed via an archway in the hedge. There is a good-sized lawn backing onto open fields where sheep can often be seen grazing. To the other side is a mini orchard with apple and medlar trees baring plenty of fruit.

Services - Mains electricity, water and drainage. Oil central heating.

Local Authority - Mendip Council – Band G

Summary - A beautiful Grade II listed period home in the Somerset village of Upton Noble, surrounded by open countryside and enjoying extraordinary views across the Witham Vale towards Alfred’s Tower on the Stourhead Estate. The setting is one of the house’s great pleasures. There is not another house in front of it, just a broad sweep of green fields running towards the horizon. The lane itself is wonderfully quiet, with little more than the occasional old Land Rover passing by.